If you’ve had a Bud Light Lime-a-Rita you may be owed money: Company settles class-action lawsuit

A judge in Missouri is allowing a settlement involving several unhappy ‘Rita’ drinkers and Anheuser-Busch, the company behind Budweiser, to go forward.

The disgruntled customers say that the were deceived into buying the company’s margarita themed drinks by believing that they contained tequila. The drinks manufacturer opted to settle with the customers.

That means anyone can apply to be compensated for the deception without proof of purchase. The funds range from from $9.75 to $21.75 per household. All you have to do is fill out this form. 

They also said that they were led to ‘falsely believe that the Margarita Products contained tequila and the Wine Products contained wine.’ 

The lawsuit says that they wouldn’t have bought the drinks or ‘would have paid significantly less for them.’

It also made reference to the company’s other drinks that are themed around Mojitos, Sangria and Rose. Those drinks ‘mislead a reasonable consumer into believing that the respective Products contain either tequila, rum, or wine.’

The products feature ‘a combination of misleading images and language, such as ‘sparkling classic cocktails’ with images of cocktail and wine glasses.’

The lawsuit, Browning v Anheuser-Busch, was originally filed in September 2020 in the Southern District of New York. 

It claimed that the company falsely implied that the canned beverages contained liquor. They do not. 

The canned drinks have an alcohol content of 8 percent which is far lower than a standard Margarita. The primary ingredient in the drink is beer with added fruit flavoring.

The plaintiffs, Megan Browning and Alan Kesselring, say that they ‘never saw a disclaimer regarding the purchased products’ true contents.’ 

There is a small disclaimer on the cans that reads: ‘Malt Beverage[s] With Natural Flavors and Caramel Color.’ 

On Anheuser-Busch’s website, a ‘Sparkling Margarita’ is referred to as a ‘lime beer.’

As per the recent ruling, the drinks will now be described as a ‘Malt Beverage’ in packaging. There will also be a disclaimer making it clear that there is no distilled spirits contained in the cans. 

The lawsuit was settled back in May 2021 with the company maintaining their innocence. 

The company’s only statement on the issue reads: ‘The parties have come to an agreement to resolve this matter. We do not have any additional details to share at this time.’ 

The alcoholic drinks giant launched the Ritas in 2012 in eight ounce and 25-ounce cans  advertising them with slogans such as ‘classic margarita flavor’ and ‘flavored beers that taste like margaritas, mojitos or wines.’ 

If you purchased one or more Ritas Brand Products for personal consumption, and not for resale, from January 1, 2018 through July 19, 2022 you are included in the Settlement and may be eligible to receive a partial refund of up to $9.75 without proof of purchase, or $21.75 if you do have proof of your purchases. 

However, if you want to receive a payment from the Settlement, you must file a claim. To see a list of the Ritas Brand Products, or to file a claim, please visit RitasSettlement.com.

The deadline to file a claim is December 16, 2022. You can also download a paper claim from the website or by calling the phone number below.

If you do not want to be bound by the Settlement you must exclude yourself by November 11, 2022. If you do not exclude yourself, you may object to the Settlement by November 11, 2022. 

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on December 2, 2022, to determine whether to approve the Settlement as fair, reasonable, and adequate.

This notice is only a short summary of the lawsuit and your rights. Detailed information about the claims in the lawsuit, the Defendants’ reply and all of your rights if you are a Class Member is available at www.RitasSettlement.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-905-0657.